The present invention concerns a ski binding particularly adapted for snowboards.
For the practice of snowboarding, the user utilizes ski boots with relatively flexible bindings. Known bindings include a base plate and a back piece for receiving the aforementioned ski boot. Moreover, the boots are supported on the base plate by adjustable bindings.
As is known, the back piece is connected to articulate toward the front of the base plate but is blocked against pivoting toward the rear by a system of abutments that assure the snowboarder of sufficiently flexible back support for optimal snowboarding.
Actually, a known back support element does not permit the user to conduct an optimal snowboarding run because the binding is not adaptable for some commonly used ski boots.
The present invention is an improvement that allows the utilization of a rear attachment that is ideal for any style of commonly used ski boot.
Thus, the binding of the ski boot on the snowboard according to the present invention is of a type contemplating a base plate on which a rear attachment piece is mounted which extends upward and is designed to serve as a rear support for the ankle of the ski boot. The rear support includes on a central part a reinforcement that is vertically adjustable relative to the ankle support. The ankle support is advantageously mounted to pivot on the base around a transverse axis.
According to a complementary characteristic, the reinforcement is an independent piece from the ankle support; its length is larger than its width while the aforementioned length is half as large as a height of the central part of the ankle support that is flexibly placed near the rear of the ski boot.
According to another characteristic, the means for adjusting the vertical position of the reinforcement includes at least a screw/release system for mounting the reinforcement on the rear support piece and to a lesser degree an oblong hole or opening for the adjustable displacement of the vertical reinforcement along the back piece or ankle support.
According to a preferred embodiment, the rear ankle support piece includes along a plane of vertical symmetry two open slots arranged one above the other while the vertical reinforcement includes two holes again arranged one above the other, each of the holes being designed to receive a connection member with a flange to prevent rotation.
In addition, the guide means are designed for vertical displacement of the reinforcement relative to the back ankle support as well as means for indexing the position of the reinforcement, which means includes a succession of cooperating teeth or ridges.
According to another characteristic, the lower end of the reinforcement includes a stop adapted to come to rest against an upper edge of the back arch independent of the base plate.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the back ankle support includes on a central portion of its back, a reinforcement that is movable from near the bottom to the top and vice versa. Moving the reinforcement piece improves the rigidity and the prevention of bending or flexation of the back of the back ankle support in order to assure the user better ankle support when practicing snowboarding, enabling him to have better control of his trajectory.
It is to be understood that the reinforcement is a complementary piece which improves the rigidity and limits flexing or bending of the back piece thereby allowing the user to insure better ankle support when practicing snowboarding and adjusting its position to enable the user to personalize this thus ensuring that the user has better control of his trajectory.
Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the following description along with the appended drawings which are given by way of example only and are not limiting.